Twenty-five years later this restaurant is better than ever

By Frank Whitman

Let’s start with the potato chips. “These chips are warm,” Marsha exclaimed. Thin and delicately crisp, perfectly salted, darker than store-bought, with a fresh potato flavor, the chips at Match SoNo are made in-house. I know you can’t eat just one. 

Accompanying the chips, the tasty lobster roll ($37.99), presented on a bronze-domed brioche bun, was drenched in butter, Connecticut-style. I’ll confess that I prefer the Maine-style roll – even though it seems disloyal. It’s not the lobster, but the dressing. All that delicious butter tends to sink to the bottom and make the roll soggy. A no-no for me. Toss the lobster with a little mayo, salt, and a squeeze of lemon and I’m just fine. Toast the buttered bun on a griddle if you want me to swoon.

At Match, Chef Matt Storch goes the extra mile on every dish. Anything on the menu might have the unexpected pizazz of those chips. And he’s been doing it since 1999.  The restaurant has survived Y2K, the ups and downs of SoNo, and Covid, yet remains as vibrant, creative and interesting as it was at the start – maybe more so. 

For instance, blackened swordfish ($35.37), cooked in Match’s signature wood-fired oven, was topped with a spoonful of sultana-pine nut glaze that added texture, fruity flavor and a touch of natural sweetness. 

Swordfish

Osso Bucco ($39.33), often-seen on menus years ago, doesn’t pop up much these days, so I couldn’t resist. It sailed to the table with a cocktail-fork mast anchored in the marrow of the central hollow bone. The fork-tender meat was braised in “Italian BBQ love.”  I couldn’t precisely name the “love” ingredients, but the rich broth certainly had some onion, garlic and a touch of tomato and had clearly swapped flavors with the meat during the eight advertised-hours of simmering. Its foundation of Parmesan risotto was rich and irresistible. Fried sage leaves, sliced scallion and a sprinkle of cheese dotted the top.  

Storch has an affection for old-school ingredients alongside all his innovation. I counted at least four dishes that included truffles: Burrata vinaigrette, oyster Carpetbaggers, Steak Tartar; and Fettuccine with brandy-truffle cream. There’s Hudson Valley Foie Gras, crab cakes, steak frites, and plenty of spice on the wide ranging menu. 

Gnocchi ($16.64) were tossed with a quick, summery sauté of fresh tomatoes, pesto, and pine nuts. 

Storch’s flair for combining flavors stands out in the “Greek” ($14.49) salad, a usually simple combination of vegetables, cheese and olives. At Match bibb lettuce is stacked high and garnished with warm spanakopita, feta, tapenade, vinegar-soaked tomatoes and fried shallots. All welcome upgrades.  

The menu is divided into seven sections:  Nibbles, Smaller Cravings, New School Raw Bar, Farm Greens & Veggies, Pasta and Truffles, Wood Oven Pizzettes and Larger Cravings. Only two listings were labeled “cravings”, but they all had that subtext.  The extensive menu includes thirty-nine hard-to-choose-from options. 

The industrial-chic interior has stood the test of time with an energetic, yet comfortable vibe. 

It’s no wonder that Match has outlived many of its SoNo brethren. It could be the second-longest-running eatery on Washington Street, trumped only by Donovans, the old school bar and burger joint that claims the impossible-to-beat founding date of 1889.  

In the constant flurry of hot trends and new restaurant openings it’s easy to lose track of some of the time-tested creative places that keep up their “A” game year after year.   It’s not an easy feat.  Their effort is worth our attention and support. The reward is a creative, delicious and memorable meal.